Keyword: New York Giants

Ahh, how we love the splendid tale of the breakout star and oh how the world of sports never fails to deliver that "from nowhere to somewhere" story.

We are now just a week removed from the New York Football Giants Super Bowl XLVI win over the New England Patriots and the GMEN's incredible run (reminiscent of their 2007 Championship run) through the NFL playoffs. Just a few months ago, the St. Louis Cardinals made that same improbable run in baseball, winning when it counted and backing into the playoffs on the final day of the season, only to continue their white hot streak throughout the playoffs and end up with a World Series title. And just two years ago, we saw now Carolina Panthers' quarterback Cam Newton and his then Auburn Tigers do the same thing in college football.

What do these teams have in common? They were "All In." Literally.

If you listen to the pundits (which I don't), you would have counted both of these teams out. "Never had a chance. No way. Look at them on paper. They'll never do it." Sure about that?

As ESPN's Chris Berman puts it, "THAT'S why they play the game."

Championships are not won on paper. They are not handed out. A team has to earn them. And top-flight draft picks and big money signings do not guarantee wins. At every level championships are won by players who have the ability to come together as a unit, and the best team—and that doesn't always mean the team with the best athletes.

Athletes like this contribute greatly to the philosophical mindset that the unit, the team, the men or women in the locker room—is stronger than the individual athlete—and together the team can accomplish great things.

So what do they all have in common? They all have the ability to:

1. Inspire their teammates and fans with their electrifying performances

2. Tongue-tie sports pundits

3. Remain grounded in their values and principles and what it took to get them to the top

4. Play hard and enjoy every moment and every play as if it was their last

5. Change the course of a game

6. Lead their team to victory

7. Defy the odds

8. Put their team on their back

And most importantly:

9. The ability to believe in what they do to the point where no obstacle will slow them down or keep them from achieving success at the highest level.

With the exception of Tebow and Newton, these guys stayed under the radar because they didn't come from the "big" school, the "big" program, and didn't command the "big" money when they signed their deals. Essentially, they were role players, happy to be in the league, and looking for an opportunity.

And boy, when opportunity knocked, did they answer!

Freese is now a 2011 World Series hero. A St. Louis area guy with a dream who worked his tail off, got an opportunity, and capitalized on it. Cruz was an above average wide receiver at the University of Massachusetts who got a chance with the GMEN and never looked back, setting the Giants' single season record for receptions and yards and establishing himself as a major threat at his position in the NFL. Tebow took the helm of a 1-4 Denver Broncos team and led them to the playoffs and a Wildcard round overtime win in dramatic fashion. And Lin? Well, he's just begun. Stepping in while Amare Stoudamaire, Baron Davis, and Carmelo Anthony are out, the Harvard grad and Palo Alto, California native, is the latest "overnight sensation" to "come out of nowhere" and capture the interest of the sports world.

From a media relations and reputation management standpoint, they have all done a good job. Especially Tebow and Newton. Out of the gate, it seems like they understand the media spotlight is on them and they are now officially living "life in the fishbowl" and seem to be handling it well.

If they continue to stick to what they know best, eliminate the distractions, don't try and become a reality TV star, focus first on their sport and not on their Twitter followers, remain humble, and endear themselves to the media and not fight the media, they should expect to see continued success in both their chosen profession and outside of it.

So get ready. We are about to find the next breakout star and team in a month as March Madness and the NCAA Basketball Tournament arrives. Then, expect to find more in August as our World's best athletes convene in London for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

What's the lesson here? There is a Jeremy Lin, a Victor Cruz, and a David Freese in your midst. Look around your organization, your team, or your company. They've been there the whole time. They are just waiting for an opportunity.

The question is do you have the ability to find them.

And if you are the next Freese, Cruz, Lin, Newton or Tebow, will you be ready when opportunity knocks?

Here is the scenario: the Packers were big favorites going into the playoffs. They were the top seed in the NFC Division. They had lost only one game all season. They were the defending Super Bowl champions and they were playing at Lambeau Field, their home field. Everything was looking good for them. Unfortunately, the game did not turn out as expected.

But here, as they say, is the stone-cold truth: One of the most explosive and efficient offenses in NFL history -- the one that almost single-handedly was responsible for a 15-1 regular-season record -- stumbled at the starting line and never regained its footing. Credit goes to the Giants' defense for scheming to take away the deep pass, but independent of that, I think we can agree it's been a while since we've seen the Packers' offense play so poorly. ESPN Stats & Information had it with six drops, tied for the most by any NFL team in a game this season. The Packers committed a season-high four turnovers, including a fumble by Rodgers as he was trying to hit a wide-open Jennings in the third quarter. They had only two plays go for more than 20 yards, a 29-yard run by running back James Starks and a 21-yard pass to receiver Randall Cobb once the game was out of hand.

"This year," receiver Jordy Nelson said, "we've made the easy plays into big plays. And we didn't make the easy plays today. That's what hurts you. Every once in a while, you'll get a big shot, but if you can't make the easy plays, you aren't going to make any plays."

I couldn't have put it better if I tried. Why that happened, however, will be a mental mystery that will haunt the Packers all offseason.

Let's decipher that mental mystery right now.

Actually, it is not a mental mystery as much as it is a collective neurophysiological breakdown. In order to produce motion in the body, any motion, whether it is swinging a golf club or throwing a football, the signal about the motion has to go directly to the motor system and not be intercepted by the pre-frontal cortex. This ability of signals to go directly to the motor system has a crucial component attached to it. That component is the element of time.

It’s tough for anyone to walk away from doing what they love, but even more so for an athlete. Yet, in many cases, it’s typically the best long-term decision they can make. I tip my hat off to Texas safety Nolan Brewster for making such a prudent choice. "It was probably the toughest decision I've had to make so far in my life, but I think at the end of the day, it's the right one," Brewster added. "It's difficult because I love football and playing for Texas, but I know in my heart this is the right thing to do. I just know I can't keep playing worrying about this continuing to get worse and knowing that I'm risking my long-term quality of life." [Texas' Nolan Brewster quits football]

New York Times columnist William C. Rhoden offers a piercing critique of the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles for allowing QB Michael Vick to start and play in last Sunday’s game against the New York Giants, a week after suffering a concussion in a tough, physical game. [Weighing The Risk With Vick]

Eagles’ Pro-Bowl WR Desean Jackson has been involved a lengthy contract negotiation with his current team. Yet, he has made clear what his main goal this season is: to stay healthy. That way, e can prove he’s outplayed his current contract (he’s making $600,000 this season) if he’s injured. “Whether I have the ball in my hands or not, I feel like I already established myself in this league as one of the great receivers,” said Jackson. “I just gotta go out there and keep doing what I can do. Stay healthy is the biggest thing. As long as I can stay healthy, regardless of where I’m playing, I think I’ll be alright.” [Desean Jackson's First Priority: To Stay Healthy]

I hope New York Giants rookie offensive tackle James Brewer's opinion about the cancelled NFL Rookie Symposium isn't shared by many other new NFL draftees. In a May 26, 2011 New York Post Online article, author Paul Schwartz reported that Brewer told him, "That's probably one thing I'm not going to say I'll miss, going to [Ohio] for three days or so of pretty much a freshman orientation. Kind of letting you know what not to do. I feel I have pretty good common sense, so I think I'll be OK. I don't think I need someone to tell me not to hit women and stuff like that. I think I kind of know that already."

But two days earlier on May 24, 2011, an ESPN NFL website article entitled "NFL rookie symposium called off" had explained that the symposium is much more multifaceted than how Brewer has chosen to perceive it. The ESPN.com article quoted a league spokesperson who explained that "the symposium is a large, complex event involving many professionals and others. In fairness, we could not continue to keep their commitment on hold."

The article went on to say that "the symposium, which was to begin in Canton, Ohio, on June 26, is designed to teach rookies life lessons on dealing with football, finances and their new lifestyle. Many players who have been through the symposium have said it has been a positive first step in their transition to the NFL."

Annapolis, Maryland – In the living room of LaVar Arrington’s waterfront estate, the former NFL linebacker and Penn State standout showed me the extensive scar on his right forearm that is a painful reminder of the near-fatal motorcycle accident that abruptly ended his career in 2007.

That summer, Arrington was riding his brand new Kawasaki ZX-14 on a highway exit ramp when he was cut off by a dump truck, causing him to lose control of his bike and skid across the pavement. He was unconscious for two days in the intensive care unit before he came to, only to discover that he had sustained major injuries. He suffered massive nerve damage along with several broken bones in his back, a shattered right arm, and a massive gash in his right thigh.